Florida Town Made HGTV List For Most Charming Towns In America

Everybody knows Florida to be one of the biggest vacation destinations in the country. Most people associate Florida with beaches and Disney World, but Florida is much more than that. Crystal River, Florida recently made the HGTV list for most charming towns in America. Crystal River is one of those spots Florida residents know all about, but stays more of a hidden gem from the rest of the world.

HGTV decided to put together their list of the 50 most charming towns in America and we had to take a look. Now, they don't exactly tell us how they came about choosing these specific destinations. Was it travel records? Personal experience? Whatever it was, the Florida spot on the list for most charming towns in America is Crystal River.

If you’re not familiar with Crystal River, it is the only place in the United States you can get up close and personal with manatees. Often referred to as “sea cows”, you’ll find between 500-1000 manatees that migrate to these waters for warmer temps during the winter. With a trained guide, you can swim with these creatures in crystal clear water making for a once in a lifetime experience.

If you don’t want to swim with the manatees, you’ll also be able to see these creatures while kayaking, paddle boarding, or hiking Three Sisters Springs. Here you will find a boardwalk across the 75 acres to see over 100 species of bird and other wildlife. Just a short drive from Crystal River is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Here you’ll dive straight into Florida’s wildlife by walking the surface to see various animals including black bears, alligators, whooping cranes, the endangered Florida Panther, and much more. If you want to take a dive beneath the surface, they have an underwater viewing area to catch the aquatic life in their natural habitat. You’ll see flamingos, various fish species, and even the world’s oldest captive hippo.

Crystal River, Florida is just a short drive away from the beaches along the nature coast. If you're looking for a truly unique experience, Crystal River is anything but ordinary. To catch the full list of HGTV 50 most charming towns in America, click here.

When going on a vacation or staycation, it's pretty important to stick to a budget. That can be hard to do in Florida. Many families save up all year just to visit some of the biggest theme parks and best beaches in the country. USA Today compiled a list of the most 100 overpriced attractions, tourist traps, and overrated attractions worldwide. Scroll down to see what made the list in Florida.

Obviously, tourism is huge in the Sunshine State, it is the biggest factor contributing to our economy. Apart from our gorgeous beaches, Florida is home to some of the biggest attractions in the country. Because of the popularity and demand to see these destinations, it can be pretty expensive to visit. It's up to your own personal preference if these experiences are worth it to you. There are plenty of ways to enjoy some of Florida's best attractions on a budget. These experiences could be even better than what is normally recommended and may be less crowded.

In July 2023, USA Today analyzed 23.2 million Google reviews of the 500 most popular tourist attractions in the WORLD. For each attraction, they focused on how frequently the reviews mention the terms “tourist trap,” “overrated” or “expensive”. They then broke down that info by dividing the number of mentions in each case by the total number of reviews for that attraction. Click here to see their key findings.

Florida natives will tell you that the big theme parks, Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld are all the #1 culprits for tourist traps. While you may be spending a lot of money to attend, many families or thrill seekers find it worth it to visit at least once. USA Today actually lists the Everglades Alligator Farm (#30 on USA Today's list) and the Kennedy Space Center (#81 on the list) as the top tourist traps in Florida.

The first Florida destination to land on USA Today's list (#44 out of 100) is Universal Studios. They mentioned that in over 127,000 reviews, 1,628 of them mention "expensive". If you love roller coasters, superheroes and Harry Potter, we think Universal is definitely worth the trip! It helps that locals get hooked up with the Florida resident discount. But those from out-of-state are coughing up $175 for a 1 day-2-park ticket. And that doesn't include hotel costs, food, drinks, and souvenirs.

Kennedy Space Center landed at number #47 on USA Today's list. 1 Day admission ticket is $75 for adults and $65 for kids (not including parking). There are plenty of exhibits included with admission, but you can also choose to add on extended tours.

Number #49 on the list is Busch Gardens Tampa... This is where we disagree with USA Today's list. We think Busch Gardens is one of the more family-friendly and affordable attractions in Florida. Not only do you get to experience some of the best roller coasters in the country, but you can also get close and learn about various wild animals. Normally, a single day ticket will cost you about $140, but you can get one now for $85!

The St. Petersburg museum was ranked #59 on USA Today's list. Tickets to experience the museum are only $30, which we think is pretty reasonable. The only way we think someone could find that overpriced is if they didn't care about historic art in the first place.

The last Florida attraction to make it on USA Today's list is Disney World. Tickets to experience the magic of Disney only keep increasing as they continue to improve the parks. Annual pass prices increased by $30 to $50 on Wednesday 10/11, and parking passes increased by $5. Depending on the park, you could spend up to $170 for a single ticket and $236 for a park-hopper pass. And that's just if you're a Florida resident. Tickets are even more expensive if you live out-of-state. Many call Disney a tourist trap because of all the hoops you have to jump through just to experience some of the parks attractions. You can also expect there to ALWAYS be a large crowd, even during the hottest days of summer.